What is TDEE and how is it calculated?

TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) is the total number of calories your body burns per day, including all activity. Step 1 — Calculate BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate): The Mifflin-St Jeor equation (1990) is used — the most accurate validated formula for the general population: Male BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age + 5 Female BMR = 10 × weight(kg) + 6.25 × height(cm) − 5 × age − 161 BMR represents calories burned at complete rest — just to keep your heart beating, lungs breathing, and organs functioning. Step 2 — Multiply by activity factor: TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier Activity levels: - Sedentary (×1.2): desk job, little or no exercise - Light (×1.375): light exercise 1-3 days/week - Moderate (×1.55): moderate exercise 3-5 days/week - Active (×1.725): hard exercise 6-7 days/week - Very Active (×1.9): physical job + daily training TDEE is your maintenance calorie level — eating at TDEE keeps your weight stable. Eating below TDEE creates a deficit (weight loss). Eating above creates a surplus (weight gain). Accuracy note: TDEE formulas have a standard error of ±10-15%. Track your weight for 2-3 weeks at calculated TDEE and adjust up or down based on actual results.

How much of a calorie deficit or surplus should I use?

The right deficit or surplus depends on your goals, timeline, and how much you care about preserving muscle: For fat loss: - Aggressive cut (−1000 kcal): ~1 kg/week loss. Harder to maintain, higher muscle loss risk. Best for people with significant excess body fat. - Slow cut (−500 kcal): ~0.5 kg/week loss. Better for muscle preservation. Recommended for most people. - Mini cut (−200 to −300 kcal): ~0.2-0.3 kg/week. Very sustainable. Good for athletes who want to stay lean while training hard. For muscle building: - Lean bulk (+200 to +300 kcal): slow, minimal fat gain. Requires patience but maximises muscle-to-fat ratio gained. - Moderate bulk (+500 kcal): ~0.5 kg/week gain. Faster muscle growth but ~50% of gain will be fat. - Aggressive bulk (+750-1000 kcal): faster but most fat gain. Usually not recommended unless you are very underweight. The 7700 kcal rule: ~7700 kcal deficit = 1 kg of fat lost (3500 kcal = 1 lb) This is a population average — individual variation exists based on metabolic adaptation, water retention, and body composition. Practical recommendation: - Beginners: start with the standard cut (−500) or lean bulk (+250) - Track weight daily, average weekly, adjust every 2-4 weeks - If losing >1 kg/week or gaining >0.75 kg/week, adjust accordingly

What macro split should I use for my goal?

Macro splits are expressed as percentage of total calories from Protein / Carbs / Fat: Aggressive Cut (40P / 30C / 30F): - High protein to preserve muscle mass during large deficit - Moderate carbs to maintain training performance - Moderate fat for hormonal health Slow Cut (35P / 35C / 30F): - Still high protein, but more room for carbs - Good balance of performance and body composition Maintain (30P / 40C / 30F): - Standard balanced split - Adequate protein for muscle maintenance - Higher carbs for energy and performance Lean Bulk (30P / 45C / 25F): - More carbs to fuel training and support muscle growth - Still high protein absolute amounts due to higher calorie intake Bulk (25P / 50C / 25F): - Carb-dominant for maximum training performance and glycogen - Protein percentage lower but absolute grams still high These are starting points — adjust based on your response: - If losing muscle during a cut, increase protein % - If energy is low, increase carbs % - If hormones feel off (mood, libido), ensure fat is ≥0.5g/kg/day - Protein is the most important macro to get right — hit protein target first, then fill remaining calories with carbs and fat based on preference

How much protein do I actually need?

Protein requirements vary significantly by goal and training status: RDA (recommended dietary allowance): - 0.8g per kg body weight - This is the MINIMUM to prevent deficiency in sedentary adults - Not optimal for body composition or athletic performance For active people and body composition: - General health + light activity: 1.2-1.6g/kg - Building muscle (natural): 1.6-2.2g/kg - Cutting while training hard: 2.0-2.6g/kg (higher to preserve muscle in deficit) - Experienced athletes: 2.0-3.0g/kg Why more protein during a cut? In a calorie deficit, the body is more likely to break down muscle for fuel. High protein intake (combined with resistance training) signals the body to preserve muscle and use fat instead. Studies show 2.4g/kg is optimal during aggressive cuts. Does protein timing matter? - Yes, but less than total daily protein - Aim for 20-40g protein per meal for maximum muscle protein synthesis (MPS) - Protein before sleep has been shown to enhance overnight muscle recovery - Post-workout protein is beneficial but not critical if daily total is met Upper limits: - Protein above 3g/kg/day shows no additional benefit for most people - Excess protein is simply used as energy (converted to glucose) - Very high protein is safe for healthy kidneys — the 'kidney damage' myth refers to pre-existing kidney disease only

Should I track net carbs or total carbs?

Whether to track total carbs or net carbs depends on your dietary approach: Total carbs (what this calculator tracks): - All carbohydrates including fibre and sugar alcohols - Used in: standard flexible dieting (IIFYM), standard calorie counting - Most straightforward approach — what food labels show in most countries Net carbs = Total carbs − Fibre (− sugar alcohols, in some methods): - The logic: fibre is not digested and absorbed in the small intestine - It does not raise blood sugar or contribute to glycogen stores - Used in: ketogenic diet, low-carb diet, diabetic management When net carbs matter: - Ketogenic diet: staying under 20-50g net carbs/day to maintain ketosis - Blood sugar management: fibre slows glucose absorption - High-fibre foods (beans, vegetables): their net carb impact is much lower than total carbs For general body composition: - Tracking total carbs is fine and simpler - Focus on hitting protein and calorie targets first - Carbs vs fat split is flexible — adjust based on energy levels and preference Practical note: this calculator shows total carb grams. If following a ketogenic approach, enter a custom split with a very low carb % and high fat % — but note that very low carb targets may require medical supervision.

Macros by Goal Calculator — TDEE + Personalised Splits

The Macros by Goal Calculator computes personalised daily macronutrient targets using Mifflin-St Jeor BMR and 5 activity multipliers to derive TDEE, then applies goal-specific calorie adjustments and macro splits. Five preset goals: Aggressive Cut (−1000 kcal, 40/30/30), Slow Cut (−500, 35/35/30), Maintain (0, 30/40/30..

YOUR DETAILS

WEIGHT (kg)

HEIGHT

AGE

yrs

ACTIVITY LEVEL

GOAL

YOUR DAILY MACROS

GOAL CALORIES

2,711

kcal/day · TDEE: 2,711

PROTEIN

203

g · 812 kcal

CARBS

271

g · 1,084 kcal

FAT

g · 810 kcal

Protein per kg body weight2.5 g/kg

MACRO SPLIT VISUALISATION

203g P

271g C

90g F

Protein: 203g (812 kcal)

Carbs: 271g (1,084 kcal)

Fat: 90g (810 kcal)

ALL GOALS AT YOUR TDEE (2,711 kcal)

Goal	Kcal	Protein	Carbs	Fat	P/kg
Aggressive Cut	1,711	171g	128g	57g	2.1
Slow Cut	2,211	193g	193g	74g	2.4
Maintain	2,711	203g	271g	90g	2.5
Lean Bulk	2,961	222g	333g	82g	2.8
Bulk	3,211	201g	401g	89g	2.5

PROTEIN BENCHMARKS

RDA (sedentary minimum)64g (0.8g/kg)

General health96g (1.2g/kg)

Active / body composition144g (1.8g/kg)

Muscle building / cutting176g (2.2g/kg)

Your current target203g (2.5g/kg)

SUGGESTED MEAL SPLIT (3 meals + 2 snacks)

Breakfast (25%)51P / 68C / 23F

Morning snack (10%)20P / 27C / 9F

Lunch (30%)61P / 81C / 27F

Afternoon snack (10%)20P / 27C / 9F

Dinner (25%)51P / 68C / 23F

Distribute protein evenly across meals for optimal muscle protein synthesis.

Created with ❤️ byeaglecalculator.com

HOW TO USE

1
Select metric or imperial and male or female using the toggle buttons at the top. These control the BMR formula constants (Mifflin-St Jeor uses different intercepts for male and female) and the safety calorie floor (1500 kcal for males, 1200 kcal for females).
2
Enter your weight, height, and age. Quick-select buttons provide common values. For imperial height, enter feet and inches separately. All values convert automatically — switching between metric and imperial re-computes without losing your data.
3
Choose your activity level. Each button shows a live TDEE preview in monospace — you can see exactly how much each activity level changes your maintenance calories before selecting. Pick the level that best reflects your typical week, not your best week.
4
Select your goal. Each goal button shows the resulting calorie target live. Aggressive Cut subtracts 1000 kcal (≈1 kg/week loss), Slow Cut subtracts 500 kcal, Maintain is your TDEE, Lean Bulk adds 250 kcal, Bulk adds 500 kcal. The Custom Split option lets you set your own calorie adjustment and P/C/F percentages — a validation warning appears if percentages don't sum to 100.
5
Read your results: goal calories in large numerals with your TDEE below for reference, protein/carbs/fat in grams with individual calorie contributions. Protein per kg body weight is shown for easy comparison against benchmarks. The right panel shows a stacked macro bar, all-goals comparison table, protein benchmarks panel, and a suggested 5-meal split with per-meal macro targets.

WORKED EXAMPLE

Macros by Goal Calculator — worked example: INPUTS: Male, 30 years old, 80 kg, 175 cm, Moderate activity STEP 1: BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor) BMR = 10×80 + 6.25×175 − 5×30 + 5 = 800 + 1093.75 − 150 + 5 = 1748.75 ≈ 1749 kcal/day STEP 2: TDEE TDEE = BMR × 1.55 (moderate activity) = 1749 × 1.55 = 2711 kcal/day STEP 3: GOAL CALORIES + MACROS Aggressive Cut (−1000 kcal, 40P/30C/30F): Goal = 2711 − 1000 = 1711 kcal Protein = 1711 × 0.40 / 4 = 171g (2.14 g/kg) Carbs = 1711 × 0.30 / 4 = 128g Fat = 1711 × 0.30 / 9 = 57g Verify: 171×4 + 128×4 + 57×9 = 684+512+513 = 1709 kcal ✓ Slow Cut (−500 kcal, 35P/35C/30F): Goal = 2711 − 500 = 2211 kcal Protein = 2211 × 0.35 / 4 = 193g (2.41 g/kg) Carbs = 2211 × 0.35 / 4 = 193g Fat = 2211 × 0.30 / 9 = 74g Maintain (0, 30P/40C/30F): Goal = 2711 kcal Protein = 2711 × 0.30 / 4 = 203g Carbs = 2711 × 0.40 / 4 = 271g Fat = 2711 × 0.30 / 9 = 90g Lean Bulk (+250, 30P/45C/25F): Goal = 2711 + 250 = 2961 kcal Protein = 2961 × 0.30 / 4 = 222g (2.77 g/kg) Carbs = 2961 × 0.45 / 4 = 333g Fat = 2961 × 0.25 / 9 = 82g PROTEIN BENCHMARKS at 80 kg: RDA (0.8g/kg): 64g — minimum for sedentary General (1.2g/kg): 96g Active (1.8g/kg): 144g Muscle building (2.2g/kg): 176g CALORIE CONVERSION: 7700 kcal ≈ 1 kg body fat 500 kcal/day deficit × 7 days = 3500 kcal = ~0.45 kg/week

REFERENCE FORMULAS

FORMULA REFERENCE TABLE

Name	Formula	Description
BMR (Mifflin-St Jeor)	Male: 10w+6.25h-5a+5 \| Female: 10w+6.25h-5a-161	w=weight(kg), h=height(cm), a=age. Most accurate BMR formula for general population.
TDEE	TDEE = BMR × activity multiplier	Sedentary×1.2 \| Light×1.375 \| Moderate×1.55 \| Active×1.725 \| Very Active×1.9
Goal calories	Goal = TDEE ± deficit/surplus	Cut: −500 kcal \| Aggressive cut: −1000 \| Maintain: 0 \| Lean bulk: +250 \| Bulk: +500
Protein grams	P(g) = goal_kcal × P% / 4	4 kcal/g protein. Cut: 35-40% of calories from protein. Bulk: 25-30%.
Carb grams	C(g) = goal_kcal × C% / 4	4 kcal/g carbs. Higher during bulks/maintenance; lower during cuts.
Fat grams	F(g) = goal_kcal × F% / 9	9 kcal/g fat. Minimum 0.5g/kg/day for hormonal health. Usually 25-30% of calories.
Protein per kg	P/kg = protein_g / body_weight_kg	RDA: 0.8g/kg. Muscle building/cutting: 1.6-2.4g/kg. Athletes: up to 3g/kg.
Safety minimums	Min 1500 kcal (male) / 1200 kcal (female)	Below these levels, nutrient deficiencies and metabolic adaptation become severe risks.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Last updated: April 29, 2026 · BMR: Mifflin-St Jeor (1990) · TDEE activity multipliers: Harris-Benedict revised · 7700 kcal ≈ 1 kg body fat